Proposed Experiment for Grappling (PHASE ONE, MIDDLE KINGDOM)

Introduction:  The SCA, Inc. has not included grappling or wrestling within its Marshal activities, although techniques of grappling or wrestling are documented to the combat arts of pre-17th century Europe.  Outside of the SCA, there are groups that study the martial arts of medieval and renaissance Europe that safely use these historical grappling techniques.  There are also similar techniques have a long history of safe use in modern martial systems derived from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.  We believe that, with appropriate training and oversight (especially utilizing individuals who have experience in one or both of these domains) grappling actions can be safely incorporated into some of the Marshal activities of our organization.

Rationale:  The safety record of martial arts academies who use grappling and wrestling in free-form sparring shows that the risks associated with these techniques can be appropriately managed.  At the same time, we recognize that these techniques generate a unique set of risks, significantly different from those associated with traditional SCA rattan combat, and also different from SCA steel-bladed rapier combat.  Safely implementing grappling in our organization will require a level of training, caution, and oversight that is not universally associated with traditional SCA martial activities.  
In the past ten years, the Society has been able through the Cut-and-Thrust program to integrate steel-bladed cutting in minimally-armored combat (which carries a higher presumed risk than other SCA martial activities).  Many of the participants in SCA Cut-and-Thrust have studied and participated in organizations both of historical and modern who engage in free-form sparring grappling, including research and reconstruction of grappling and wrestling in pre-17th century European fighting systems.  We therefore believe that this experiment would best fit into the SCA's Cut-and-Thrust activity.


This proposed experiment is planned in at least three "phases":

Phase 1: Proof-of-Concept.  In this phase, we will seek to explore the feasibility of incorporating grappling and wrestling techniques into existing SCA combat activities, within clearly-defined boundary conditions.  This phase is primarily concerned with the safe execution of the techniques themselves, within the context of SCA combat.  

Phase 2: Development and Training.  If it becomes evident that grappling and wrestling are viable within the Society, we will begin to explore the infrastructure and leadership required to establish systems of training and oversight which would allow for the expansion of these activities, while still maintaining acceptable risk.  In this phase, the emphasis will be on establishing policies and procedures for authorization of participants and warranting of marshals.

Phase 3: Transition and Formalization.  Once appropriate systems for training, authorization, and warranting have been created and piloted, this phase will explore whether or not it is possible to bring these systems to a larger scale, allowing for participants from across Kingdoms and the Society to engage in a common activity.

It is anticipated that this proposal will be expanded and revised during and between each of these phases, and that participating groups may or might not be involved in multiple phases of the experiment.  The present document is specifically designed for Phase 1, but is also intended to serve as a framework for later phases.


Proposed Rules (PHASE ONE): 
1. Participants in the SCA Grappling Experiment (also called "experimenters")
Experimenters participating in Phase 1will be individually selected by the Kingdom Earl Marshal, or by his or her designated Deputies, in compliance with the following criteria:
a. Participants in the experiment must be authorized Cut-and-Thrust combatants.
b. Participants in Phase 1 will also have at least one year of training in grappling or wrestling.  This experience may come from scholastic/collegiate or freestyle wrestling, from modern or historical martial arts training, or from other experience at the discretion of the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated Deputies.
c. Experimenters must request and be granted approval to participate in the experiment, in writing, prior to beginning their participation.  Such approval will be granted by the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy, who may require additional information about the prospective experimenter's background and training, and will complete an authorization process prior to evaluate the participant (see "Authorization", below).
d. The Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy shall maintain a roster of active experimenters, listed by .  The person maintaining this roster will maintain routine contact with participants, including two-way communication no less than every quarter (see "Reporting", below).  
e. Authorization to participate in the experiment may be revoked, temporarily or permanently, at any time by the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputies.  In the event of such revocation, all overseeing deputies will be notified, and the former experimenters' status will be appropriately updated on the roster of experimenters.

2. Reporting
a. All experimenters will keep a written record of any SCA event (including sanctioned SCA practices) at which they engage in grappling or wrestling activities.  These records will include, at minimum, the date and location of the event as well as the names of other experimenters who participated in grappling activities with themselves and approximately how many grappling actions occurred, and any injuries (including trivial injuries, such as bruises or contusions) that occurred.
b. Every experimenter shall send copies of these written records at least once every quarter to the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy.  Note that this means that for any grappling activity that occurs, there should be at least two records (one from each participant) reported.
c. In the event of any injury sufficient to cause the recipient to seek medical attention (either at the time of injury or thereafter), the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy will be notified of the injury within 48 hours.  
d. Failure to comply with these reporting requires will result in mandatory removal from the experiment (see "Participants" part d, above).

3. Grappling and Wrestling
a. Grappling and wrestling under this experiment occur within the context of SCA Cut-and-Thrust combat, and all rules of authorization, equipment, and behavior associated with that activity apply.
b. Prior to beginning an individual (single-opponent) bout of SCA Cut-and-Thrust combat, the participants may agree to include grappling and wrestling if and only if both combatants are experimental participants.  This explicit agreement is required at the beginning of any new series of bouts between experimenters.  Once grappling and wrestling is agreed upon, either combatant may unilaterally revoke permission to include grappling and wrestling from further bouting, with a simple verbal indication.  During this experiment, grappling and wrestling may be used in practice only, not in tournament bouts.
c. Permitted grappling and wrestling techniques will include pushes, throws, and locks; however, the safety of the combatants must be maintained at all times.  Participants are permitted to engage in techniqes with a hand that is holding equipment, but must take particular care when doing so to avoid an improperly-calibrated strike to the opponent.  
d. Pushes to the opponent's limbs or torso are allowed; these do not end the engagement themselves, though they may be used to position an opponent in such a way as to allow a blow or subsequent grappling technique.
e. Locks should be attempted only by participants who have significant prior experience in these techniques.  All locks end the bout as soon as they are engaged: the lock should not be forced to the point of causing pain.  The participant who is establishing or controlling the lock is encouraged to liberally call hold upon engaging locks, to allow both participants to discuss the martial efficacy of the technique.  Any technique which is likely to result in a joint dislocation or broken joint or limb is strictly forbidden.
f. Throws end the bout as soon as they are set: it should never be the thrower's intent to complete the throw, but in some cases terminating a throw may increase the danger to one or both participants.  Both participants are expected to pursue the completion of action that they perceive to be the most safe option.  
g. Strikes may be delivered with a weapon, limb, or other equipment.  Regardless of striking implement or target, all strikes must occur at appropriately controlled minimal calibration.  As with any blow in Cut-and-Thrust, the recipient shall judge whether the blow would have been valid, had it been delivered with deliberate force.  
h. Participants may call for the end of a bout using a non-verbal cue, by gently tapping their opponent with an open hand, weapon pommel, or other equipment.  This shall be considered equivalent to calling "hold".  

4. Authorization
In order to participate in this experiment, a candidate must demonstrate the following capabilities and judgement, as part of an authorization process overseen by the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designees (including marshals chosen to oversee the experiment).
a. All elements of the authorization process must be undertaken while the candidate is wearing and wielding weapons and armor legal for Cut-and-Thrust combat.
b. All participants must be able to safely fall both from a standing position, and when thrown by an authorization partner.
c. A participant must demonstrate the recognition of the moment at which a throw becomes inevitable (based on the relative balance of both participants), and the ability to aid their opponent in the safe completion of a throw.
d. A participant must be able to initiate locking techniques, without continuing them to the point of painful submission.
e. A participant must respond to an opponent tapping them with an empty hand, weapon pommel, or other equipment, exactly as they would respond to a verbal cue of "hold".  

5. Marshallate
a. Marshals overseeing the first phase of this experiment must be warranted Cut-and-Thrust marshals in good standing, and must request and be granted warrant to both participate and oversee the experiment, prior to begin their oversight activities.  Such permission will be granted by the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy.
b. Experimental marshals will follow the same reporting schedule as all other experimental participants (see "Reporting" above).  Experimental marshals will include within these reports their personal opinions and recommendations, regarding the safety of both specific techniques and of participants with whom they have worked.
c. Experimental marshals may perform authorizations for any candidate for participation who meets the requirements (see "Participants" above), and will send recommendations for such participants to the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy within 24 hours.  This recommendation must include, at minimum, the candidate's SCA name, modern name, and email address or phone number, along with a brief narrative of the candidate's performance during the authorization.
d. Upon successful completion of authorization, the recommended candidate may provisionally participate in experimentation under the supervision of the recommending marshal, pending approval by the Kingdom Earl Marshal or his or her designated deputy.  
e. Approval of newly-authorized experimenters will be indicated by the inclusion of the participant's SCA and modern name on the roster of participants, after which time the experimenter may participate under the supervision of any experimental marshal.